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Sarranid Sultanate
The Sarranid Sultanate is a new faction introduced in Mount&Blade: Warband, located in the southern deserts of Calradia. It is led by Sultan Hakim, while the claimant to the throne is Arwa the Pearled One. Sarranid lords are called emirs, an Arab title for a ruler. Their national animal appears to be the desert eagle, as it is depicted on their emblem. However, Hakim's banner is one of the two monarch banners that does not match up with the emblem, and the only one that does does not contain a heraldic eagle. Interestingly, Arwa has an eagle's head on her banner (and so does one of the most powerful lords of the Sultanate, Emir Uqais, initial lord of Durquba, for that matter), which could be related to her claim hinging on Sultan Ayzar's, while Hakim's hinges on Baybak's. History The Sarranids are possibly descendants of the Aserai, hinted by their dwelling place and troop composition. The Sarranids were ruled by Sultan Ayzar prior to the events of Warband. Ayzar purchased a slave, Arwa the Pearled One, who would later endear herself to him so much that he eventually let her manage his kingdom and practically adopted her as his daughter. After Ayzar's death, Arwa was allowed to rule on the condition that she marry the realm's general, Emir Baybak, and they ruled together for ten more years. However, after Baybak was killed in a skirmish with the Khergit Khanate (likely under the rule of Janakir Khan at that point). His nephew, Hakim, staged a coup against Arwa, ousting her from power on grounds of her bewitching both the previous Sultan and his uncle. Rulers Vassals Tactics Also see Sarranid Sultanate Tactics. Strengths *Good skirmishing ability with overall versatility, thrown weapons and polearms, and high Athletics skill. *Powerful heavy cavalry, rivalling the knights of Swadia. Weaknesses *Infantry is easily outmatched in direct engagements. *Archers are outclassed at long range by those of other factions. Summary The starting position for the player is difficult, as many bandits roam the deserts outside of villages and towns. When you can, leave the area and come back with a large force if you want to attempt to drive out the bandits. Most of their units are relatively weak, excluding some of the higher tier archers and cavalry. The Sarranids use units and tactics that seem to be a blend between those of the Swadians and Vaegirs, giving them more versatility. The top-tier Sarranid cavalry unit, the Sarranid Mamluke, is on a par with the Swadian Knight as the toughest horsemen in the game while Sarranid infantry and archers are tactically closer to Vaegir military units, although they are generally more heavily armored and bear heavier shields than Vaegir troops. Their weakness lies in a lack of specialization arising from this blending. While their archers are relatively tough in melee, they are not as devastating in their main role as archers. Similarly, their infantry have throwing weapons, but lack staying power in melee combat, and their horsemen are slightly less well-armored than their Swadian counterparts (but still quite powerful) and carry more blunt weapons to capture prisoners. Used well, the Sarranids are a formidable force, but it is hard to squeeze a significant amount of damage out of the archers during a siege because they quickly exhaust their ammunition. Sarranid Master Archers are a hedged bet. They are better in melee combat, and thus a good backup when things go awry, but less effective compared to other ranged troops when things go according to plan. Ultimately, Master Archers may not be capable of clinching victory against powerful enemy forces. Mamlukes rule the open desert and their blunt weapons will help them pay their recruitment costs and salaries by capturing prisoners, but their expensive horses are of no use when besieging a town or castle. Sarranid infantry might score a few kills with throwing weapons, but when you need them to hold the line they simply may not be capable of holding their own against other factions' infantry in a direct clash. The Sarranid territory is mostly open desert, making battles very favorable for cavalry and archers. Unlike the Khergits, their cavalry are melee only and have no bows, making them less versatile. However, their mounted knights (Mamlukes) are some of the strongest in the game, rivaling Swadian Knights. Their infantry are considered the weakest in the game when compared to the other factions, and they are not as heavily armed as similar units in other kingdoms. However, they are reliable in large numbers and can be very useful if supported. Sarranid archers use bows and jarids rather than crossbows, and while they can out-shoot Nord Veteran Archers, they are outclassed by Vaegir Marksmen. They have a very fast rate of fire, which allows a small number of troops to lay down an impressive volley in a short amount of time. But, Sarranid archers are not always reliable because of their low damage and poor accuracy, made worse when they spawn with jarids instead of bows. Troop Tree Land The territory of the Sarranid Sultanate contains the following towns, castles, and villages: Note that, over the course of the game, other kingdoms may besiege and take over these lands and the Sultanate may gain more or less land. However, these places are the only places from which you can recruit Sarranid troops. The Sarranid Sultanate is the only faction in which no castle shares its name with that castle's village. You can buy Date Fruit cheaply which, when sold to the neighboring Khergit Khanate, can fetch a price of up to 100 denars. Trivia *The Sarranid ruler and vassals, unlike those of the other factions, wear their combat attire all the time, including in the castle halls where the other lords usually wear civilian clothing. Internally, this is because the Sarranids were not given an alternate set of clothes in their inventory and so have nothing else to wear. ru: Сарранидский Султанат Category:Factions of Warband Category:Sarranid Sultanate